One of the Five Maitreya Treatises—the five texts imparted to Asanga by the bodhisattva Maitreya—the Ornament of the Mahayana Sutras (in Sankrit the Mahayanasutralamkara, often shortened to Sutralamkara) presents explanations of bodhisattva motivation, meditation, conduct, and fruition as expounded in the Mahayana sutras as well as demonstrating the superiority of the Mahayana.  In English, the [...]

A Short Biography of Kathog Khenpo Ngawang Pelzang, also known as Khenpo Ngaga and Khenpo Ngakchung (1879–1941) Excerpted from The Guide to the Words of My Perfect Teacher Khenpo Ngawang Pelzang, also known as Osel Rinchen Nyingpo Pema Lendrel Tsel and popularly called Khenpo Ngakchung or Ngaga, is a re­markable example of a particular kind [...]

The Seven-Line prayer to Guru Rinpoche, Padmasambhava, is one of the most ubiquitous and important prayers, performed across lineages and in particular the Nyingma tradition who commence nearly every practice with it.  What follows is a brief introduction and Reader’s Guide to this short but extremely profound verse. The Padmakra Translation Group has provided some [...]

Sokpo Pelgyi Yeshe Learn More A Reader's Guide to one of Guru Rinpoche's main disciples See Also:  Profiles of early Indian Mahayana figures | Tibetan Masters of the 8th Century | Tibetan Masters of the 10th-11th Centuries Guru Rinpoche | Yeshe Tsogyal | Mandarava| Kawa Peltsek | More of Guru Rinpoche's 25 Disciples Sokpo Pelgyi [...]

Denma Tsemang Learn More A Reader's Guide to one of Guru Rinpoche's main disciples See Also:  Profiles of early Indian Mahayana figures | Tibetan Masters of the 8th Century | Tibetan Masters of the 10th-11th Centuries Guru Rinpoche | Yeshe Tsogyal | Mandarava| Kawa Peltsek | More of Guru Rinpoche's 25 Disciples Denma Tsemang: A [...]

Intermediate States: Bardos and Living and Dying from Ancient India to 21st Century New York The term bardo, often translated as "intermediate state" is a term that entered the popular imagination in the West with the publication of W.Y. Evans-Wentz's 1927 translation of The Great Liberation by Hearing in the Intermediate States, which he rendered [...]

Tulku Thondup Rinpoche's Tibetan Buddhist Essentials A recommendation list for the essential teachings of the tradition. Tulku Thondup Rinpoche was born in East Tibet and was recognized to be a tulku at age five. He studied at Tibet’s famed Dodrupchen Monastery, settling in India in 1958, and teaching for many years in its universities. He [...]